The present invention relates to protective clothing for animals, particularly a coat for animals having protective and insulating properties.
Articles for use in protecting animals from physical harm and insulating them from harsh environments have been around as long as animals have been held as domestic pets and as valuable undomesticated animals. With the increased domestication and integration into family life of household pets, it has become increasingly popular to include pets in all family events, exposing them to environments that are atypical to their breed or vary from their day-to-day lives. It is also increasingly popular to afford domestic pets human luxuries such as fashionable outerwear.
Prior art garments that protect common household pets, for example, dogs, during field exercises or hunting conditions, include complex shapes and pads having multiple pieces that need to be secured together on the animal and, depending on the level of protection required, are bulky and cumbersome.
Prior art garments with insulating properties further comprise multiple pieces requiring at least partial assembly on the animal. Such devices incorporate numerous points of attachment around the animal, requiring difficult movements by the user, such as bending and kneeling down for an extended period, to position the garment on the animal and then secure it. The highly active nature of animals, particularly canine puppies and young dogs, renders the difficult and complex installation of such garments even more trying. Prior art insulating garments further fail in many instances from adequately insulating the upper ears, neck and chest portions of animals and are not readily adaptive to protect the head without bulky hoods or caps.
Prior art designs due to the complex, multi-piece design and attachment schemes noted above, further make the garment expensive, difficult to manufacture and more importantly, difficult to install and use both for the user and the animal.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide an animal coat improving on the problematic conditions in the prior art and to provide a coat which is inexpensive, facilitates manufacturing and assembly, and is easy to secure, use and remove while affording substantial protection to the animal from harsh environments.
The inventive coat for placement over the body or torso of a dog or other animal comprises a front portion and a neck portion positioned in surrounding relation to the animal""s neck forming an opening to place the animal""s head through. The coat further includes first and second sides extending rearward over the body of the animal ending in a rear portion adjacent the animal""s hind quarters. The animal coat includes at least one lateral strap positioned rearward of the front legs extending from one of the sides underneath the animal and attaching to the opposing side. A chest strap attached to the neck portion extends rearward between the front legs and is easily and removably secured to the lateral strap beneath the chest of the animal.
In a preferred aspect of the invention, the coat substantially covers the body rearward of the ears and includes a first and an opposing second lateral strap positioned around the lower chest rearward of the front legs. The first and second lateral straps include a first means for attaching the straps together in an overlapping manner in the form of complementary hook-and-loop material patches, for example, attached to the respective straps. The chest strap extends rearward substantially covering the chest area and removably attaches in an overlapping manner to at least one of the first and second lateral straps by a second means for attachment, preferably, opposing hook-and-loop material patches.
In another preferred aspect of the invention, the front and neck portions of the coat are sufficient in length and clearance to easily pull forward and partially cover the animal""s ears and head for protection during intermediate rain, wind gusts or severe weather. In another preferred aspect of the invention, the rear portion of the cover adjacent the animal""s hind quarters is extended and tapered to conform to the general shape of the animal to further protect this area.